2021 Saints Hills Black 750ML

The 2021 Saints Hills Black arrives from Croatia's Pelješac Peninsula, where the Sainović family has been making wine since the 1990s on steep limestone slopes overlooking the Adriatic. This bottle is a field blend anchored by Plavac Mali, the indigenous Croatian variety genetically linked to Zinfandel and Primitivo, but expressing something entirely its own in this maritime climate. The Sainović family works small parcels of old vines, many ungrafted, that cling to these sun-baked hillsides where the bura wind tempers the Mediterranean heat. Saints Hills Black takes its name from the deep, almost opaque color in the glass, a hallmark of Plavac Mali when grown in this region's intense sunlight and rocky soils. The 2021 vintage shows the grape's characteristic density without tipping into overripeness—there's dark fruit concentration, yes, but also a savory, herbal backbone and a mineral spine that keeps everything taut and food-friendly. Expect flavors of blackberry, dried fig, and black olive tapenade, with notes of Mediterranean scrub, black pepper, and a subtle smokiness that comes from both the grape and the place. This is a wine built for the table. It handles grilled meats beautifully—think lamb chops with rosemary, beef short ribs, or pork shoulder—and has the structure to stand up to rich stews and aged cheeses. The tannins in the 2021 have had enough time to integrate, making this approachable now but with the backbone to hold for another few years if you're inclined to cellar it. Croatian wine remains under the radar for many American drinkers, which means bottles like this still offer serious value for the quality. Saints Hills is among the producers putting Pelješac on the map, farming carefully and bottling wines that speak clearly of their origin. If you're drawn to wines with grip and character—something in the vein of a rugged southern Italian red or a structured Greek Xinomavro—this is worth your attention.